


There Was A Storm Coming - A Ballum Short

by benshearingaid



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-16 09:10:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21268583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/benshearingaid/pseuds/benshearingaid
Summary: It’s a week or so since they met in the park, Callum is sick of the comments Ben keeps making and decides to do something about it  Until...





	There Was A Storm Coming - A Ballum Short

Callum Highway looked up at the sky, the grey clouds threatening to burst at any minute. He was intent on getting to his location. He was determined to have his say, to put his point across.   
Deciding to risk it, he closed and locked the door of Coker and Mitchell behind him. Jay had gone home hours ago, getting out of the paperwork as he always did.  
Callum was irritated. Really irritated.   
He stomped his way across the Square, not concerned that the sky was getting darker by the second.  
There was a storm coming.   
It had been across the news and newspapers and it's all Honey could speak about in the Minute Mart this morning when he'd gone in first thing to get some milk. "Get back home as soon as you can and tell Whitney the same! Don't let her keep her stall open until silly o'clock, it won't be safe!" She'd warned, wagging a manicured fingernail at him as he ferreted in his pocket for his loose change instead of breaking into a five pound note. He'd nodded and told her he would do as she'd said.   
And now look at him.   
He wasn't exactly sure why he was making such a big deal out of it but he had to keep his secret hidden. He was sure someone would figure something out sooner or later. And then he'd lose everything. He couldn't have that. He couldn't risk that.  
"Can I help you?" A familiar voice asked as Callum stormed his way through the metal doors of the Arches.  
"You need to stop." Callum warned.   
With a cocky head tilt, Ben Mitchell put the tip of the biro between his teeth and smirked, probably knowing exactly what had gotten to Callum.  
"I don't know what you mean." He replied. Callum exhaled through his nostrils, angry and losing his patience.  
"You can't keep making comments in front of Whitney, in front of Stuart, in front of Jay, in front of Mick, Linda, Shirley... it's gotta stop, Ben." Callum's voice was thick with resentment.   
"Ah, Callum, give it a rest, will ya? That's who I am, that's what I do. If I was sweetness and light all the time people would think I'm soft... which I ain't." Ben added a pointed finger at the end of his sentence, almost to reassure not only Callum but himself too.  
"It was one time between us and that was it. A mistake. A silly, little mistake." Callum continued venting, almost as though now the lid was off of his bottled up annoyance and it wasn't ever going to stop. Ben stopped listening.   
"Listen, I'm really busy and I ain't got time to listen to you explaining why you should stay in the closet so... I'd rather you just go, mate." Ben said.   
"I ain't your mate." Callum replied instantly without even thinking about it.   
Ben was amused. Callum knew that. It angered him more.  
Ben stood from his wheely chair and cleared his throat, walking towards the other man swiftly. "You... need to relax." He said, inches from his face. Callum felt his cheeks redden as he felt Ben's breath, warm, brush across them like velvet.  
Almost as though they were being watched, a roar of thunder filled the silence, making Callum jump. He gasped, his eyebrows raised and his eyes wide.   
Ben began to laugh, amused by the sight of such a tall man being frightened by nature's noises.  
The heavens opened and suddenly, the sound of heavy rain echoed around them, bouncing off the tin roof.   
Both men remained silent. Callum's eyes were still wide.   
And then, darkness.  
"What the fuck..." Ben walked towards the front of the Arches, looking out at the playground and the community centre. All of the street lamps were off.   
More thunder roared through the air, followed by a flash of bright lightning.   
"Think we have a power cut on our hands." Ben turned at that exact moment to see Callum sink down the car in the centre of the building, his hands shaking and his chest panting.  
Ben frowned, reaching for his phone in his pocket.  
"Callum?" He said, pressing a button to use the light as a guide.  
Callum's shallow breaths could be heard over the rain.   
"Callum?" Ben repeated, wondering what was happening. "Are you hurt?" He asked, bending in front of the taller man, now shrunken almost into a ball against the metal of the car door.  
"Come on, up you get." Ben urged, trying to sound supportive but he was still clueless. Callum shook his head, quickly, wanting to stay where he was, feeling like he was glued to the spot.   
"You're having a panic attack, come on, we can sit in the car." Ben reached across to find the car keys on his desk. He also grabbed the water bottle he'd just so happened to place there earlier. Almost like he had a sixth sense.  
He helped Callum up and opened the car door, almost pushing him inside. He rushed around the other side and sat in the driver's seat. Callum's breath seemed to have calmed but it wasn't normal yet.  
"What's wrong?" Ben asked, holding out the bottle of water. Callum shook his head again. Ben insisted. "Sip it. It will help." He instructed and with shaking hands, Callum took the water from him.  
"Are you afraid of storms?" Ben asked, trying his best not to sound like he was ridiculing Callum. "No." Callum replied.   
He didn't say anything else and Ben didn't want to pry.   
"The water seems to have helped. Are you... feeling better?" Ben was no good at playing nurse. It just wasn't in his DNA, not even Lexi had mellowed him in that way. When she was sick, she knew to go to Lola, not him. He was sympathetic, yeah, but he wasn't helpful.   
"Yeah... yeah... thank you." Callum put the lid back onto the bottle and twisted it but his hands were still shaking, his eyes fixed on the swings on the playground across from them.  
"So... what have you done today?" Ben asked, trying to change the subject. Callum's eyes didn't move but he opened his mouth to reply.  
Another clap of thunder shook the car.   
Callum's eyes snapped shut.  
"I... I... went to work. We've had a... an old lady brought in today. She was 98." He was almost robotic.  
"Bloody hell, bet the Grim Reaper was waiting on her, following her round. Behind her in Aldi with a trolley, begging her to get in so he could focus on someone else." Ben joked. Callum didn't laugh.  
"And, er... what made you give me a visit?" Ben asked to fill the awkward silence. Callum's eyes opened but they weren't looking at him.  
"I decided you needed to stop taunting me. I have Whitney, I have a flat. I'm happy."   
"Are you?" Ben asked, softly.  
Callum swallowed, turning to look at Ben for the first time since they got into the car. He sighed and licked his lips, contemplating an answer. He was happy, of course he was. Whitney, she's brilliant, beautiful, funny... and smart. She accepts him for who he is.   
Sort of.   
"Yeah." Callum nodded.  
Ben replied with a slow nod.   
"I've got PTSD." Callum said, suddenly.   
Ben was surprised. Honesty. "From the army. The thunder... I dunno, all I heard was bombs and...." His voice trailed off, feeling foolish for admitting something he hadn't even told Whitney.  
"Oh." Ben said, simply. It all made sense now.  
"Sorry." Callum was embarrassed.  
"What for?" Ben asked, shaking his head, wondering why Callum was even apologising.  
"It's pathetic. It's been months." Callum rubbed his forehead with his free hand and sighed.  
"It's not pathetic at all, you're really brave. I don't want to sound condecending because that's not what I mean at all. You're a hero, really."   
"Am I?" Callum let out a small sarcastic laugh and shook his head, not believing Ben for one second.  
"Yes. You are. I couldn't do what you did. I mean, they wouldn't let me in anyway, a blind, half deaf kid like me, I wouldn't have even made the initial meeting but... I'm a wimp... I mean... with that... sort of thing." Ben was rambling.   
Callum stayed silent. "You ain't gotta apologise for your panic attack. It's normal. You've seen some stuff out there that no one should ever see." Ben placed a hand on Callum's shoulder.   
Callum's head turned, looking down at the fingers rested softly upon his jacket. Comforting him. His eyes flicked up and both of them were silent, looking into each other's eyes.   
"The.... thunder... seems to have stopped." Callum announced, breaking the moment. "Yeah.... hopefully the rain stops soon too. Hopefully me Mum ain't got the washing out on the line." Ben replied, always the joker.  
"I should probably... go." Callum said. Ben realised his hand was still on his shoulder. He removed it.  
"The... power is still out. Maybe you should stay... until it stops. Just in case, you know..." Ben was secretly hoping he'd agree. That he'd stay. Even if they just sat in silence. For some reason, Callum's presence was a comfort.  
"Okay, yeah... until the rain stops."   
"Until the rain stops." Ben confirmed.   
Both men turned in their seats and stared out at the rain, willing it to never stop.

**Author's Note:**

> My first mini fic, one shot, inspired by What If This Storm Ends? By Snow Patrol.
> 
> I’ve also made an accompanying playlist for this mini fic.
> 
> Spotify : ballumplaylists  
Twitter : benshearingaid


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